The norbis feters co



(No Model.) 0

S. M. LILLIE. VACUUM EVAPORATING PAN. No. 470,060. Patented Mar. 1, 1892,

k "m5 NORRIS PETERS cm, nncmirmo vmmmsnm, n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MORRIS LILLIE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUGAR APPARATUS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VACUUM EVAPORATING-PAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 470.060, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed April 4, 1889- Serial No. 805,984. (No model.) Patented in England August 28, 1888, No. 12,391; in France August 31,1888, 110.192,?07; in Belgium September 1, 1888, No. 83,105,- in Germany September 13, 1888, No. 50,387, in Spain September 26,1888,No.8,678,audin Austria-Hungary June 5, 1889, No. 1,290 and No.1,837.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, SAMUEL Mounts LILLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful devices for distributing a liquid among the heating-surfaces of in-transit evaporating apparatus or among different receptacles, (for which I have received patents in to the following-named foreign countries, viz: in Great Britain, No. 12,391, dated August 28, 1888; in Belgium, No. 83,105, dated September 1, 1888; in France, No. 192,707, dated August 31,1888; 'in Spain, No. 8,676, dated September 26, 1888; in Austria-Hungary, No. 1,290 and N 0. 1,337, dated June 5, 1889, and in Germany, No. 50,387, dated September 13, 1888,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates more particularly to means for distributing the liquid to be evaporated in limited quantities equally among the evaporating-surfaces of in-transit. evaporating apparatus, of which the apparatus shown in my previous patents, Nos. 341,669,

344,586, and 378,813, are illustrations; but it may also be used for distributing a liquid equally or in different proportions among a number of receptacles of anykind.

In the drawings the distributing device is shown used in connection with apparatus in which the evaporating-surfacesare the interior surfaces of tubes, either vertical or horizontal, heated from the outside.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention, in which the evaporating-tubes are vertical. Fig. '2 is a vertical section of a limited portion of apparatus in which the evaporating-tubes are horizontal. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the distributing-chamber with one-half of the cover of the same removed, and with one-quarter of the distributing-plate p removed to expose the tops of feeding-tubes to View.

Referring to the drawings, E is a steamcase surrounding and containinga battery of evaporating tubes extending through the same, and which open at one end through a tube-sheet p into a collecting-chamber P, 5o

(shown in Fig. 1,) and at the other end are continued by feeding-tubes 0 into a horizontal chamber G, which is the lower compartment of a larger chamber D. The feedingtubes 0 extend through the bottom plate 10 of the distributing-chamber D into the chamber G to a short distance above the same and have their upper edges horizontal and all in the same horizontal plane as nearly as may be. Immediately above the tubes is a hori- 6c zontal perforated distributing-plate p whose perforations open into the spaces between the projecting feeding-tubes c, the said plate being formed in sections, as shown in the partial plan view of the plate given in Fig. 3, to admit of its easy removalin sections through a man-hole, as H, Fig. 1, of the distributingchamber and of replacing the same after having been removed. 1

Above the plate 19 and suspended from the cover D is a horizontal tray D with its bottom perforated. The height of the tray D above the perforated plate 19 is sufficient to allow a man to enter and work comfortably. A pipe o for bringing the liquid to be evaporated t0 the pan opens through the cover D of the dome and delivers upon the perforated tray D.

The mode of operation of this apparatus is as follows: The steam used for effecting evap- 8o oration is supplied continuously to the case E,-surrounding the evaporating-tubes, by a suitable main, as S, Fig. 1, and the liquid to be evaporated is delivered continuously by the main o upon the perforated trayD in the distributing -'chamber D, through which it falls in a shower upon and tea degree evenly distributed over a perforated plate 19 through whose perforations it flows into the spaces between the feeding-tubes c in the chamber 0 G, and thence overflows the edges of the feedtubes 0, nearly equally distributed among them, owing to their edges all lying in'the same horizontal plane and to the combined distributing effects of the perforated plates 5 p and D. The liquid which overflows the edges of the tubes 0 flows down equally distributed over their inner surfaces, owing to the upper edges of the tube being strictly horizontal, and in the Vertical type, Fig. 1, continues down the surfaces of the evaporating-tubes Z), which in that construction are continuations of the feeding-tubes, respectively, while in the horizontal type, Fig. 2, the feeding-tubes c deliver the liquid upon the lower interior surfaces only of the evaporating-tubes. The liquid thus delivered in limited quantities upon the inner surfaces of the tubes flows along the surfaces, su fiferin g evaporation in its course, and falls into the collecting-chamber P, from whence it flows away freely and constantly by the escape f, thus keeping the chamber 1) and evaporating-tubes empty of liquid, with the exception of a limited quantity which is in transit through the apparatus. The vapors resulting from the evaporation pass from the tube 1) into the chamber P, from which they escape by a concentric passage 1 T T, which communicates at one end (not shown) with the chamber P and at the other end with a vapor-main B.

In the vertical type apparatus, Fig. 1, the feeding-tubes c and evaporating-tubes b are continuations of each other, which is the best construction for that type, as the feedingtubes distribute the liquid evenly over the surfaces of the latter around the entire circumference of each tube. In the horizontal type (shown in Fig. 2) the feeding-tubes may be much smaller than indicatedin the figure viz., than the evaporating-tubes b-and their feeding ends huddled closely together, and so permit of a much smaller distributing-charmher than that shown and than is possible in the vertical type as constructed in Fig. 1. The distributing-chamber in the horizontal tube type may be of any one of the number of shapes-round, square, or oblong-as the tubes 0 in Fig. 2 may be bent so as to open into the distributing-chamber from any directionas, for example, through the side walls of the chamber, as indicated by the dotted lines c-the only requisite being that their upper ends or mouths shall open or lie in the distributing-chamber at the same level, so that as the liquid rises in the chamber it will overflowequally, or approximately so, through all the tubes, and thereby be equally distributed among the evaporating-tubes. A function of the plate 19 in the vertical apparatus, in addition to that of the distributer, is that of covering the mouths of the feedingtubes, so that the showering liquid shall not fallinto andthrough them and their continuations the (evaporating-tubes 1)) below without coming in contact with the sides of the latter. In the horizontal type this function of the plate 19 is not needed, and if the showering device D were a sutliciently perfect distributer the plate 13 might be dispensed with, as any liquid that might fall into the mouths of the feeding-tubes would be delivered into the evaporating-tubes at precisely the same place as and with the portion of the liquid which would overflow the edges of the feedtubes-viz., onto the lower surfaces of the evaporating-tubes. Indeed, in the supposed case the mouths of the feed-tubes 0 might be flush wit-h the upper surface of the plate 19'.

The tray D may be replaced by other forms of showering devices; but Iprefer the tray form, having a hand-hole d, as shown. If the liquid being evaporated contains filaments and other matters in suspension and there results an accumulation of material on the upper surface of the tray, the accumulation may very easily be removed and the tray cleaned by the hand and arm passed through the handhole (Z.

Another advantage of the tray is that in case the perforations should become clogged the Working of the apparatus would not be fat-ally interfered with, as the liquid which could not pass through the clogged perforations would overflow the edges of the tray down onto the distributing plate p and through it to the feed-tubes.

\Vhile the distributing-chamber D and feeding-tubes c are described herein as used for distributing liquid equally to the several tubes of an evaporator, it is apparent that they may be used for dividing any liquid into portions and delivering the same into different receptacles, the portion delivered into each receptacle being proportional to the number of tubes 0 which are made to deliver into it.

In Fig. 3 the tubes 0 may be taken to represent a number of receptacles among which the liquid, flowing by the main 1; into the distributing-chamber, is equally divided.

In a vacuum evaporating apparatus it is desirable that the distributing-chamber should be air-tight; but for many purposes the chamber may be without a cover D and the show ering device D, if used, be supported otherwise than from a cover.

'Thus, having described my invention, I claim as 'mine 1. In an evaporating-pan operating substantially as described, the combination of a heating-chamber, a battery of vertical evaporating-tubes extending through the heatingchamber, a horizontal distributing-chamber directly over the heatingchamber and evaporating-tubes, said tubes having continuations extending upward through the floor of IIO the distributing-chamber to a short distance above the floor, with the edge of the projecting end of each tube horizontal and with the ends of the tubes all laid in the same horizontal plane, and means for delivering the liquid to be evaporated upon the floor of the feed-chamber, the combination operating to deliver the liquid to be evaporated equally among the several tubes, and as respects each tube equally distributed over its interior surface, substantially as specified.

2. In an evaporating-pan, the combination of evaporating-tubes, a horizontal distributing-chamber, feed-tubes leading from the evaporating-tubes and opening into the distributing-chamber at a short distance above the floor of the same and at approximately the same elevation, and means for delivering the liquid to be evaporated into the distributing-chamber, from which it overflows with approximate equality into the several feedingtubes, and is by them conducted and delivered upon the several evaporating-tubes, substantially as specified.

3. In a device for distributing liquids to different receptacles, the combination of a series of distributing-tubes leading, respectively, from the different receptacles and all opening at the same elevation into a common chamber or holder at some distance above the floor or bottom of the same, and means for delivering the liquid to be distributed upon the floor of the chamber, the liquid rising and overflowing into all the distributing-tubes, substantially as specified.

4. In a device for distributing liquids to different receptacles, the combination of a horizontal chamber, distributing-tubes projecting vertically through the fioor of the chamber to some distance and having the upper ends all on the same horizontal plane, a perforated plate above the tubes with its perforations delivering upon the floor of the chamber between the tubes, and means for delivering the liquid to be distributed upon the perforated plate, substantially as described.

,the interior and having their mouths in the chamber lying in the same horizontal plane, a

horizontal perforated plate above the mouths of the tubes with its perforations opening between the projecting ends of the tubes, ashowering device above the perforated plate, and means for delivering the liquid to be distributed to the showering device, substantially asspecified.

6.- In a device for distributing the liquid to different receptacles,theco mbination of a horizontal chamber, distributing-tubes extending from the several receptacles to the chamber and opening through the bottom of the same with their mouths in the same horizontal plane, a showering device above the mouths of the tubes, and means for delivering the liquid to be evaporated to the showering device, substantially as specified.

SAMUEL MORRIS LILLIE.

Witnesses:

FRANK C. ROBERTS, OSMAN P. STETsoN. 

